Fulcrum
Red Metal 5
Wheelset

Product Description

RedMetal 5 wheels allow all enthusiasts to enter the Fulcrum Off-Road universe. Their rim has a specific profile for disc brakes with a height of 19 mm, a bonded joint and black anodized finish. This is the same finish that distinguishes the spokes mounted in a 2:1 Two-to-One configuration with 16 elements on the sprocket set and disc side and eight elements on the other. he axles, with a 20 mm diameter both front and rear, run on sealed bearings.

I have 3 sets of fulcrum and I would recommend the product in terms of strength but I wouldn't buy another fulcrum because of the spare parts availability. Even the sealed bearings are hard to find and the fulcrum people doesn't care. I had an unfortunate accident and the rear hub was damaged, I called the store where I bought it and he recommended to just buy a new wheelset. I tried emailing fulcrum but no one is answering.

These wheels are great!! I got them on a warranty from Focus Bikes. I had alex en24 rims with shimano deore hubs and the hubs kept going bad and focus gave me these on a upgrade warranty for free. I love these wheels my old ones would bend so easy and they just felt loose. These fulcrums are so strong I have put like 2000km on them and they are still true all is good if you are considering buying these wheels do it they are so stiff and a great price if you shop around

Had a problem with the bearings which were replaced at minimal cost. We suspect that this was because originals were switched out by a seller for inferior ones (mainland China lol).

One true in three years on rear wheel only! I do 10,000kms a year 50/50 road dirt, with intermediate jumps, ledges and drop-offs. With the strength generated by the skewers it seems likely that the rims are lighter but just as strong as many AM/freeride sets.

Only downside is aesthetic, decals are yuk, also after a few sloppy puncture repairs decals start to look nasty fairly soon.

I'm a roadie at heart. After many years of pounding the pavement, I decided to build up a hardtail to try my hand at some spirited off-road/trail riding. My selection of components reflected careful consideration. I'm a fan of Mavic but when I saw a deal on this Campy-fortified wheelset for the dirt and had to give them a try. I found that they are comparable to the Crosstrails (my initial choice) in weight and features for far less money.

On the trail, these wheels are smooth and responsive. My bike is a joy to ride. The wheelset/tire/suspension combo are very confidence inspiring. I've gotten several positive comments/questions about the wheelset.

I highly recommend Red Metal 5 wheelset for all-around trail riding and moderate technical riding as an alternative to the mid/low-end Mavics. I do wish that Fulcrum/Campagnolo offered a similar protection plan to Mavic.

With this level quality it won't be long before Fulcrum wheels get popular... Really popular!

Weaknesses: Stickers used on hubs to show the company's logo.
Choice of presta valves only.
Weight of supplied QR skewers 142gms.
Wheels heavier than manufactures claims

Bottom Line:

This review is for the Fulcrum Red Metal 5, 6 bolt int std 2009 version, Front wheel weight 879gms, Rear 1025gms including rim tape but without QR skewers (1904gms total)
They have 24 stainless bladed/aero straight pull spokes per wheel, Front having 16 on the disc side, rear with 16 cluster side, stainless steel nipples, a bonded 19mm deep rim, precision ground double sealed bearings and a steel freewheel cluster.
I weight 94kgs & after about 1800klm of XC / single track riding they are still as smooth and straight as when they were first fitted to the bike, the hubs only require a 2.5mm allan key to take the hubs apart making it easy for the owner to clean or apply some grease to the spawles when required.
The cluster engagement is instant, allowing only 1" of peddle rotation even in the granny gears.

It would be nice to see a Shredder valve version available
as the rear shock and most forks use this standard, It would also be nice to see the manufacturers logo engraved into the hubs rather than a sticker and the supplied QR skewers are way to heavy.

I have no regrets with my purchase & in my opinion used for there intended use are currently the best value vs quality XC wheelset at this price point on the market, lighter wheels cost twice this amount.

Submitted by
tom foolery
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra Australia

Date Reviewed: May 5, 2009

Strengths: Value
Sealed bearings
Cool spokes

Weaknesses: None yet

Bottom Line:

Good value wheelset with blade style spokes and sealed bearing hubs.
Can't comment on how strong they are but they haven't bent yet.
They roll nice and fast.
Good for someone wanting to upgrade to sealed bearing hubs.